Thursday, March 26, 2015

Spotlight & Giveaway: Rock Your Shop: A Guide to Building, Branding, and Rocking Etsy By Shai Ford



Rock Your Shop: A Guide to Building, Branding, and Rocking EtsyBy Shai FordGenre: Creative Business, How-to, Art & DesignSynopsis:'Rock Your Shop: A Guide to Building, Branding, and Rocking Etsy' is a one-stop guidebook for both newbie and veteran Etsians alike. From creating your shop all the way down to branding and SEO, Shai Ford pulls from 8.5 years of selling on Etsy and 4 years of social media marketing and branding, along with interviews, tips, and examples from successful sellers, to walk you step-by-step through creating, branding, and marketing your own shop. 


Shai Ford is a 29-year-old mom, social media campaign manager, and Etsy veteran. She currently runs her own Etsy shop as well as ShaiFord.com, and offers one-on-one business coaching for Etsians and other small business folks, targeting everything from product creation to social media marketing. As an artist, and a peace and social justice rights activist, Shai loves helping and watching 'the little man' succeed and reach their dreams.
Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RockSmallBiz
   
The author is offering 10 ebook copies of Rock Your Shop OR a professional critique of your Etsy shop – Winner’s Choice!
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Saturday, March 21, 2015

Book Tour & Giveaway: The Bella Chronicles - The Adventure Begins...By Erica Leigh Austin


The Bella Chronicles - The Adventure Begins...By Erica Leigh Austin 
Genre: Fiction/Children/YA
Publication Date & Publisher: 11/2014/ Chadwick Publishing  
Book Description: Bella the Shih Tzu is in the throes of her great escape, searching for the loving home she’s always wanted. She hears someone cry out that there’s a dog in the street! Bella immediately puts her escape on hold and springs into action as she frantically tries to save the dog…but she can’t find him. What will Bella do???The Bella Chronicles: The Adventure Begins brings to life the journey of an extraordinarily smart, wonderful, and special dog named Bella as she wills her way to find a home full of love and warmth – and food! Told from Bella’s perspective, The Bella Chronicles is a warm and loving piece of literature that pet lovers’ and children alike have been awaiting… The Bella Chronicles: The Adventure Begins is the first in a heartwarming, humorous, insightful and action-packed chapter book series for young readers who have always wondered just what it is that their little pets are thinking.

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Erica Leigh Austin was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Palisades. Both of her parents – all three of them, actually – were teachers and Erica was blessed to have grown up in an artistic, intellectual home. Her summers were filled with club volleyball and serving as big sister and role model for her younger sister, Jenny. Erica attended the University of Michigan, where she studied English and starred on the Wolverines’ Women’s Volleyball team. After college, she returned home to obtain her MBA from Loyola Marymount University. While studying at Loyola, Erica worked at the iconic Gladstone’s Seafood Restaurant “where Sunset meets the PCH.” Erica’s studies then took her abroad to France. There she immersed herself in the art and culture of one of the world’s most cosmopolitan locales.Currently a highly accomplished professional in healthcare IT, Erica lives happily in the Venice Beach area. She enjoys yoga, spending time with family and friends, and pushing Bella the Shih Tzu around in her stroller (Bella is too lazy to walk more than 20 feet). 
She is pleased to introduce you to her dog, Bella the Shih Tzu, in this first installment of The Bella Chronicles. Learn more about Erica at www.ericaleighaustin.com. 
Web and Social Media Links Author Website: ericaleighaustin.com/bellachronicles.com
 Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erica-Leigh-Austin/661103450646613?fref=nf
 Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ericalaustin @Ericalaustin
 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23635389-the-bella-chronicles---the-adventure-begins
 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bella-Chronicles-Adventure-Begins/dp/0990970108/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417748341&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bella+chronicles
 Barnesandnoble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bella-chronicles-the-adventure-begins-erica-leigh-austin/1120906961?ean=9780990970118


Giveaway 
 The author is giving away 5 print copies of The Bella Chronicles – signed by both the author & Bella! 

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Book Review: Green Gooey Goop by Anna C. Morrison



Title: Green Gooey GoopAuthor: Anna C. Morrison

Publisher: Green Gooey Goop

Pages:16

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Format: Paperback/Kindle

A little girl is presented with a different sort of a meal when her mom serves her green gooey goop. Interesting and icky ingredients appear one by one as the little girl decides what's in this noxious-smelling concoction. The little girl creates a flood, and her dog's fur turns green. Suggested age range for readers: 0-8. This book was written to capture the moment when a child is confronted by healthy food that, while nutritious, may not appear to be delicious.  Many children react imaginatively to new foods, and the child in this book is no exception.  She envisions the ingredients as other than what her mother describes in the first part of the book in an attempt to get out of eating the food.  When she realizes she must eat it anyway, it spills onto the family dog, who may or may not be green forever!
I hope you enjoy starting a conversation with your child about the value of eating healthy foods that also taste delicious.  Thank you for reading Green Gooey Goop!


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I may almost be 31, but I honestly feel like healthy food looks like the green gooey goop. I read the book with our three year old son. He immediately was drawn to the bright colors in the illustrations. His response of "ewwww!" to the puddles of green was excellent. Each page did well in engaging him and he was able to identify the items in the pictures. He has a speech delay and currently receives speech therapy. Being three and trying to find books that engage him for more than a few minutes can be a struggle. This book kept him entertained until the end. I think the content will be more relevant as he gets older and his taste for food changes and he is influenced by peers. I look forward to using this book to address healthy good NOT being green goopy stuff. I just hope he doesn't get the idea the dog should be green. ;)

Note: I received a copy of this paperback children's book as part of a book tour in return for my honest opinion. 

                                     

Anna C. Morrison is an author of children’s books, including Silly Moments and Green Gooey Goop , with many more to follow. She is also an adjunct professor for multiple colleges and universities, both face-to-face and online. While she instructs various levels of English composition, she also teaches classes on literature, film, feature writing, and technical writing, among others. In addition, she has worked with Adapt Courseware as a writing consultant on three video course projects, including college skills and composition. Anna received her MFA in Writing from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, and her BA in English, Creative Writing, from California State University, San Bernardino. Anna is an active member of SCBWI and is available for book signings. She lives in Southern California with her family and pets. For More Information Visit Anna C. Morrison’s website. Connect with Anna on Facebook and TwitterFind out more about Anna at Goodreads.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Book Reviews, Interview (cool one!) & Giveaway: Under The Moonlight by Ashley Nemer & Soul Mates by Ashley Nemer, L.S. Broomfield

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The concept of soul mates is timeless, but what happens when circumstance comes between soul mates? Will they find their way back to each other? This short story duo packs a hard punch in the realm of soul mates, giving the reader two different paranormal erotica’s that both ask (and answer) that very question.

Wolf Pack...

Lucas, alpha-wolf and playboy extraordinaire, must face hard truths when an old love returns to town bearing secrets of her own.

Souls Caught Fire…

Katrine, vampire assassin and femme fetal, must choose between love and business when a strong and unexplained attraction blooms between herself and her current mark.

If love is meant to be and souls are bound together by fate, Lucas and Katrine must find a way to hold on to the gift they’ve each been given. When life gets in the way, will love be strong enough to unite them with their soul mates?

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review

*** 4/5 Stars for Book #1 ***


Super fast, sweet, and somewhat spicy read. The first novella centers around Lucas and his long lost love. She suddenly comes back into town with a huge surprise and secret. Angry, Lucas takes over. Lucas is consumed with frustration, but soon loses out to love and a new future.

The novella starts out with a hot chase and sex scene. Honestly, I thought it was headed to be more of erotica novel without the good feelings... but I was proven wrong. A very sweet story that makes sense of the opening scene at the end.

*** 3.5/5 Stars for Book #2 ***


Book number two was more of a classic paranormal romance with hot guy meeting hot girl, sparks fly, tempers fly, and we have the hot kiss. Two paranormal factions not normally meant for each other come face to face with the reality that the only thing either one of them will be killing is their hate for each other. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

A quick read, slightly predictable. The main character seemed a bit in love with herself, but again, the main characters were both alpha(ish) in nature and hot to trot for each other. Fun for a fling, fun for an hour read.

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Zara's fate had been decided thousands of years before her birth. She is now fighting against time and family to reclaim the decisions that will ultimately shape her destiny.

Sentenced to live an existence in the Underworld, mated to a man she despises, Zara must find a way to overcome the Gods and their curses, with love as her only guide.

Can James, a sailor, help Zara break the bonds of magical spells or will she end up mated to Xander, the Son of Satan?

Take a dive Under the Moonlight to see where love can take you.

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review

This novella is a mix of mythology, modern relationships, and romance. Zara is one of many prince and princess born to her immortal parents who rule the sea. Using deities of Greek mythology, the author sprinkles their roles through Zara's life. Zara is approaching a pinnacle in her life in which she will chose to live on the land with human or remain in the sea with her people. A handsome bass playing sailor catches her eye. A few awkward dates and a visit from an angry uncle quickly have Zara backing off. James, the sailor, has way more than meets the eye. To add to the mix, Zara is at the center of a family curse that has her tied to Hades son. Ick! Zara has to follow her heart or her duty.

The story flowed well and was interested with the mix of mythology and modern background. Without spoiling the story, my head tilted in confusion during a consummating scene- it was just a bit oddly described and seemed rush. Beyond that, this was an acceptable paranormal romance to pass an hour or two.

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interview

The birth of Under The Moonlight

Some authors find their muses in music or the outdoors or even everyday life. This story found its life through one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jennifer. She is a fellow blogger/writer (The Cubicle Escapee) and loves to help me make new ideas for my many different worlds. Well one day Jen goes “I want to read a story about a mermaid.” Now she had emailed me this statement while I was at work so logically I said “Jen go buy a book!”
Of course … I knew what she meant.
She then goes into detail about what all she needs this story to contain.
-Hades
-A character named Zara
-Mermaids
-Crazy Mermaid Sex
Of course I took this insane request in stride and let it alone. Until she came back at me telling me all the guys where she works wanted to read crazy mermaid sex. And at this point, Under The Moonlight was born.
So when the story was finally finished I had all the elements she required. Except the sex. I had a totally crazy and insane sex scene … but my Facebook fans vetoed it. So that scene got tamed down. Here is exactly what one man said …. His name is David … he’s a writer as well. “I like that you're trying something new here! But I gotta agree, the description of a random hole appearing and such, I dunno. It was a bit off. And as a guy, I dunno if I'd be cool with just sticking things in there, lol.” So while his comment made me laugh out loud it did also make me decide to bring it back home to some regular, ‘normal’ sexual fun.
So there is the story of Under the Moonlight and there should be one moral you all take away from this story …. Never let your friends dictate your writing … it may lead to strange looks and odd scenes.

Jen can be found here: http://thecubicleescapee.com/ or here http://twistedadmiration.blogspot.com/


author

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Hello, and welcome to my Goodreads page! I am touched you have taken the time to visit me.

Here's a bit about me. I've been married just under 6 years and my wonderful husband along with our two pup's, Toto and Doogie, are the center of my world.

Writing has always been something that called to me, or rather being creative in one form or another.

I am so thankful to everyone (and there are a lot!) who has helped me along this journey. Each and everyone of you mean so much to me and I will never forget your love, support and help!

I can be found here: www.ashleynemer.com or here http://ashleynemer.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/ashers83

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